


Caramel Cats

by Rinnoa



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Animals, Bakery, F/F, M/M, Slow Burn, Veterinary Clinic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-08
Updated: 2016-09-08
Packaged: 2018-08-13 21:18:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7986565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rinnoa/pseuds/Rinnoa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One was just a grumpy vet with a sweet-tooth. The other an overconfident baker with a soft spot for animals. Somewhere between salted caramel shortcakes and the redhead’s cat catching cat flu, they fell in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Caramel Cats

**Author's Note:**

> I hate titles. 
> 
> All of the characters mentioned are either Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or Disney characters. I don't own any of them.
> 
> The fic is mostly Axel/Roxas, but there will be mentions of ther pairings. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it :3

When people first glanced at Axel, most of them got a bad first impression and made even worse assumptions about him. It would have been a lie to say that it had never bothered him, but that phase had only lasted about three years and few days in total. Yes, he had been over-conscious of his bright red hair back when he was six, but that had lasted no longer than up to a week after his ninth birthday. That day Reno, his older brother, who was sixteen at the time, told him:

_“Fuck them, Ax. Fuck them all sideways, yo”_

Of course, Reno had gotten into quite a lot of trouble that day, seeing as their mother overheard him and shrieked at him to get to his room at once. But Axel had always been thankful for these words. Back then, the “F word” was considered a naughty grown up word, but grown up nonetheless. And grown-ups, after all, were supposed to be wise and mature.

Of course, as he grew up, Axel realized that Reno wasn’t exactly the most mature at sixteen (or nowadays, for that matter), nor was he an adult back then. And the words that had been spoken to him weren’t exactly the best advice one could give a bullied nine year old. But the bottom line was, Axel did just like his older brother told him, and stopped caring about the whispers and nasty sneers. When someone pushed him, he pushed right back, and his sudden growth spurt and intimidating height helped keep the bullies at bay.

He grew up to be confident, perhaps even a bit _too_ confident at times. He spoke his mind and sometimes came out as overly blunt or even harsh. Some people considered him to be cruel, and as most people didn’t know him too well, they couldn’t have known that they were awfully mistaken. Or, well, partly mistaken.

Axel wasn’t exactly all that fond of people, aside for a few of his close friends and even fewer family members, but there was not one animal that he didn’t have a soft spot for. As soon as he got his own place, he went to a local animal shelter and returned with three cats and two dogs. He would have adopted all of them, too, had his flat been bigger.

One of said cats, fondly called Ronald in light of its’ reddish orange fur and panicky disposition, had been vomiting every day for the past four days. And Axel had been worried sick, to the point of almost setting his own bakery on fire, had it not been for the fast reaction on Selphie’s – the cashier and manager – part. Selphie had scolded him and told him to close the bakery earlier, because he would either end up destroying the whole place or poisoning the customers with the cakes. He agreed reluctantly, because there really was no point in arguing with Selphie. One way or another, she always won.

That was how Axel had found himself in Destiny Animal Clinic. He had never been there before, but it had good reviews online, he was desperate and Miss Belle, the vet he usually went to, was on a honeymoon.

It was a fairly small place, but neat and overall pleasant. There were posters advertising different pet foods or missing animals, and very beautiful drawings of cats and dogs alike made by a Naminé Gainsborough, if the signature was anything to go by, hung up all over the walls. Axel busied himself with looking at them, pretending not to see the frown of distaste on the older lady’s face. Ronald was meowing unhappily in his carrier, and it only seemed to make the woman more annoyed, as she huddled her now distressed  Chihuahua closer on her lap. Axel had tried not to laugh, and with much difficulty, succeeded.

“Next, please” came the voice from the veterinary office as a man with a big hound left the room. The lady quickly stood up and went inside, not even sparing Axel a glance. He did not mind, completely focused on a particularly intense Tetris game on his phone. He had always loved Tetris.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but his head snapped up when he heard the door to the veterinary office opening, the lady leaving in a hurry, not even saying a ‘Goodbye’. Axel honestly couldn’t care less, especially since it was now his turn to walk in. Ron seemed to know it was their turn, too, because his distressed meowing got louder and somewhat unhappier.

At first glance, the room appeared to be completely deserted, and Axel had briefly wondered if the world had a vendetta against him. But then a young man in a white uniform stepped out from behind a huge machinery, which might have been used for ultrasound, and sent a polite smile his way.

“Hello”

Axel was met with brilliant blue eyes and almost bit his tongue when he tried to reply. Ronald the Cat came to his rescue, though, meowing unhappily in his carrier.

“And hello to you too, little one. What seems to be the problem?” the words slapped Axel back to reality. Right. He was here on a mission. He was not here to marvel at the vet’s beauty. He was here to help his poor cat get better.

“He’s been vomiting for the past four days. He doesn’t really eat anymore, and whatever he does eat, he throws right up”

The vet seemed concerned as he heard that, and told Axel to place the cat on the examination table. As Ronald’s tiny paws landed on the cold surface, he glanced at Axel with betrayal clearly visible in his huge, green eyes. The redhead did his best to win his trust back by petting him, but judging by the cat’s puffed up tail, it really wasn’t working.

“Okay, let’s see. Has he been eating normally?” the vet asked while gently touching and squeezing Ron’s stomach. The blond’s eyebrows were scrunched in concentration and Axel had to pinch his own hand to keep himself from staring at the other’s pretty face. Because it _was_ a pretty face.

“Oh, yeah. Eats all the time, it’s a wonder he’s not fat. My friend keeps telling me he’s got that from me. But Dem’s full of shit anyway, he’s just jealous of my metabolism. Anyway, yeah, no problem with eating” the vet’s expression didn’t change at all at the mention of Axel’s friend, and the redhead was only slightly disappointed. He thought that it would have been a lovely conversation starter about their private lives. Seems it wasn’t, after all.

“And what does he usually eat?” the vet, and Axel would really like to know his name, asked again as he continued rubbing Ronald’s stomach.

“Well, dry food, mostly. And sometimes raw chicken meat or raw fish. I used to give them some wet food, too, but none of my cats seem to like it much. It’s probably because they’d rather eat raw fish, those spoiled brats. And they’re stay-at-home kinda cats so it couldn’t have been something he’s eaten while he was out adventuring” the vet’s lips twitched into a smile at that comment and Axel was pleased with himself. So far, so good.

“His stomach is quite soft, but I’m pretty sure there is something in there. Is he the type of cat that could spend hours licking himself clean?” the blond asked, scratching Ronald behind the ear. How cute.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s his main hobby. Harry and Hermione, and please don’t judge me for naming them that, spend loads of time playing together. And don’t get me wrong, this little furball joins in, too, but he’d much rather laze around on the sofa and lick his paws or back. Sometimes, he’d clean up the other cats when they’re lying together, too. Why, do you think his vomiting might have something to do with that?” the vet nodded slowly.

“Yes, I’m pretty sure his hair accumulated in the stomach and it may have caused him to keep throwing up. I’ll take his temperature and listen to his heartbeat just to make sure it’s not an illness or something of the sort, but I’d suggest we wait until we do a more thorough check up till later” Axel took that as his cue to shut up and look around instead. He had to grip Ron a bit harder, because it seemed he wasn’t pleased with a thermometer stuck up in his ass, but Axel honestly couldn’t blame him. Then again, Axel rather liked having something stuck up in his ass, though he much preferred doing the sticking. But well, that was not important.

He let his eyes roam around the room, four diplomas hanging on the wall catching his attention. One belonged to the man that was currently taking out the thermometer out from Ron’s ass. Axel had to squint his eyes to read the small letters. Roxas Strife his name said. Glancing at the vet quickly, the redhead decided that the name Roxas definitely suited him. _Definitely_. Other three belonged to Xion Fair, a dark-haired girl with a shy smile, Sazh Katzroy, a grumpy looking man with an afro, and Oerba Dia Vanille, another girl with a huge grin.

“His heartbeat is normal, I don’t hear any murmurs. His temperature is alright, too. And as I said before, his stomach is soft, so it’s not too serious. Yet. If it becomes swollen, please come back at once. We’ll have to perform an operation then. But I hope it won’t come to this. For now, though, do you have a fur remover mitt? If not, please think about buying one. It works wonders and helps get the excessive fur from the cat. This way, the cat won’t lick it, and in turn it won’t create hairballs inside his stomach. Also, if possible, please give him the hairball paste once a day. You can buy it in most pet shops, or if you’d like, you can buy one here”

“I’ll buy it here. And, err, where can I get those mitts?”

“In most pet shops, but you’ll probably find a cheaper one on the Internet. Then again, if you don’t mind spending a bit more, sir, I’d advise buying one as soon as possible. Also, do you think you could return with your cat on…” the vet glanced at the calendar and nodded to himself once “on Friday? I’d like to check up on him”

“Yeah. Sure. Would the morning be better or…?”

“The morning would be wonderful. The clinic opens up at 8. If the vomiting doesn’t stop despite the hairball paste and the mitts, though, it would be best to return with him by Thursday” the blond opened one of the drawers and took out what Axel assumed was the cat paste. He did his best not to look at the vet’s ass, busying himself with forcing Ron into the carrier instead. It was a very difficult, very strenuous battle, and the redhead mentally reminded himself to go to the gym sometime soon.

“Here you go, sir” the blond handed him the paste with a small smile, and Axel was inclined to believe the vet had witnessed his helpless (but successful!) attempt to get Ronald into his carrier. Damn. There went Axel’s chances of looking alluring and manly.

“If you don’t mind waiting a bit more, I need to fill in your cat’s patient card. What’s his name?”

“Ronald. It’s the fur. And he’s a coward, but he has his moments. I see you judging me. I had a Harry Potter marathon with my friends before I adopted him and his pals. I can _still_ see you judging me” it was true, too. Roxas, assuming that really was the vet’s name, was clearly biting back a smile. Axel was just slightly disappointed it wasn’t his fantastic sense of humour but his Harry Potter fanatic side that bought on that reaction.

“Sorry. I just think it’s cute. My friend’s dog is called Sméagol and she made me name my cat Frodo. They don’t like each other much, though” Axel’s heart fluttered, but that might have just been his imagination. Or perhaps his determination to get the vet’s number somehow. Attractive, animal lover and possibly a fellow fan? Axel really wouldn’t mind getting to know the vet over a nice cup of tea. Or coffee. Or a glass of wine. And maybe dinner. Yeah.

“Well, sir, can I have your full name please?” the change of topic threw Axel off a little. But only a little.

“Only if I can have yours” he ended his sentence with a wink for good measure. Which was apparently a bad move, because any and all traces of a smile left the vet’s face.

“It’s Roxas Strife, _sir_ ” it might have been just Axel’s imagination, but the ‘sir’ sounded irritated. Dang.

“Er, yeah. I’m Axel Sinclair. That’s A-X-E-L” it was by sheer willpower that he stopped himself from adding ‘baby’ at the end of his sentence. And only because he was aware it would most likely end up with a fist connecting with his face.

“So, uh, how much do I owe you, um, Doctor?” he wasn’t sure what to call the blond, because the only vet he went to before was Miss Belle, and Miss Belle always insisted on calling her just that. And he really didn’t want to piss the blond off even more, if he wanted to have any chances of scoring a coffee date sometime in the months to come.

“Together with the hairball paste it’ll be 50 munny” Axel reached for his jacket, which was the only clothing he owned that had pockets big enough to fit his wallet, only to realize it wasn’t on the chair. He looked around, hoping against hope that it somehow fell under the examination table or landed by the door. No such luck, though.

“Oh my god I can’t believe this happened to me” he mumbled to himself, all too aware of the vet’s piercing blue gaze.

“Did something happen?”

“I forgot my jacket. Which wouldn’t be a problem, but I carry my wallet in my jacket and I only have 10 munny on me. Oh my god I’m turning into Dem. Shit. I’d ask if I could pay during the next visit but I’d definitely say no if I were you, so I get it. Uh, can I just go and fetch my jacket from my flat real quick? I’ll be right back, just-“

“It’s alright, sir. Just… please leave me your phone number so I can contact you somehow or something”

“Aw, I would’ve gladly given you my phone number even without that as an excuse, Doctor” _shit_. Axel really didn’t want to say it out loud. Not _yet_ , at least. Maybe during their third date…

A rather awkward silence filled the room, and the blond’s unamused stare almost caused Axel’s cheeks to redden. _Almost_.

“So, uh, can I get a pen and a paper to write the number down somewhere?” without a word, the blond handed him the things he requested, and he quickly wrote down his number.

Before picking up Ronald – who was meowing unhappily in his carrier again – and leaving, he quickly reassured the blond that he really _would_ return by Friday, and that he really _wouldn’t_ forget his jacket and wallet again, and _would_ pay him back. But still, as he was leaving the clinic, he couldn’t help but think that he most likely wasn’t on the blond’s favourite clients list. He was probably nearer to the bottom of the list. Oh well. There were other cute blonds in the world.

xxx

Roxas liked to think that being flirted with, groped, hit on, touched without permission and generally sexually harassed by perverted tourists, men and women (but mostly men) alike, even before he reached the tender age of 12, could be considered as a generally unpleasant childhood. Most boys his age had said he was overreacting, and most girls (his age and older) expressed their support and convinced him to take self-defence courses. Needless to say, as far as friendships went, Roxas had more female friends than male ones. He also grew up to be a bit bitter and grumpy, but that, he reasoned, was justified.

He despised people, especially the ones that hit on him. Some people could find the yells of ‘Nice ass!’ or ‘Can I get your number, babe?” flattering. Roxas wasn’t one of these people. He always assumed that romantic relationships should take more time to bloom than a quick glance and an acting up libido. For him, it was all about becoming friends first, getting to know each other, likes and dislikes. Falling in love should come naturally afterwards. 

“So he hit on you. Come on, Rox, that might have been an accident. _I_ hit on you once, too! And I’m a lesbian!” Xion, one of his best friends, sister-in-law, workmate and a fellow salted caramel shortcake addict, nudged him in the shoulder, hard. He was in the middle of telling her about the outrageous redhead that had come in on the previous day, when she not so nicely interrupted. 

“Yeah, but you’re a _Fair_ , Xion. It’s in your blood to hit on people. You’re not to blame. It’s all your brothers’ fault. And your father’s. Your mother is a good man. I forgive you for your genes, Xi” she rolled her eyes at that, though the little smile on her face didn’t go unnoticed.

“Hilarious, Rox.  Terra’s about as flirty as a slug, and you had a crush on Zack once! Anyway, you’re changing the topic. We were talking about a hot, dorky redhead who named his cats after the Harry Potter protagonists and who obviously found you attractive. So he used a pick up line on you, big deal! The question is, why didn’t _you_ use a pick up line on _him_?” he knew, to an extent, that telling her would be a mistake. Ever since she, Naminé – Xion’s girlfriend –, Kairi – his twin’s, Ventus’, wife – , his mother, Mrs Fair and a few other women went on a rock-climbing weekend trip to the mountains, she’d returned changed. His mother had, no doubt, asked her to look for a girlfriend for him. Or a boyfriend. Clearly, she had taken it to heart. A traitor, she was.

“How do you even know if he was hot? You’ve never seen him, Xi” he checked his phone, looking for the address of the bakery that Kairi had recommended to him. He had never heard of it, but Kairi swore they had the best shortcakes and muffins on the planet. And Kairi was even more picky about her sweets than him. He put his full trust in her choices.

“Uh, he’s a redhead? _All_ redheads are hot. _Duh_ ” she nudged him with her elbow again, before finally letting the topic of the weird redhead drop. He was thankful, especially since he could see the bakery Kairi told him about on the left side of the road. **_Burning Desire_** it was called, and if Roxas didn’t know any better, he would have thought it was a striptease club or something of the sort. But Kairi said it was a bakery, and if there was one thing Kairi never joked about, it was bakeries.

When they entered, they were met with a wonderful smell of freshly baked bread and cookies. Xion squealed when she noticed a Dulce de Leche cake, and proclaimed loudly that she’d buy it to celebrate Naminé’s successful art show. Roxas had to smile at that, all too aware of the blonde artist’s love for that particular cake. 

“Hi, welcome. Sorry if you had to wait. I’m the only one working today and I had to take out a fresh batch of cookies from the oven” Roxas turned around to face the speaker with a weird sense of dread. He had heard that voice somewhere before, but for the life of him he could not remember where.

He locked gazes with cheerful green eyes and he recognized the man at once. Sadly, it seemed that the man recognized him as well, because his whole face brightened. Roxas had always suspected Kairi was in cahoots with his mother since the beginning. And that his whole life was just a cruel twist of fate. Someone up there had a vendetta against him. He was sure.

“Hey, is that you, Doctor?” the guy – Alex or something, his mind supplied – asked way too cheerfully. Like he had just won a lottery or something. Roxas should have listened to his cousin, Sora, and moved to Traverse Town with him and Riku. He should have never set foot in Twilight Town. His suspicions were only confirmed when he glanced at Xion. Yep, should have never set foot in Twilight Town.

Xion’s eyes sparkled with merriment  and mischievousness, and she kept looking from him to the redhead. Obviously she realized who the guy was, too. She had always been too perceptive for her own good.

“Oh. And you’ve arrived with a lovely lady, Doctor. Could this be a date?” Roxas was pleased to hear a hint of disappointment, and was more than ready to confirm the guy’s suspicions. Xion would forgive him. And if Naminé had ever found out, she’d definitely forgive him too.

“A date? No way, we’re basically siblings” Xion laughed, and he sent her a mean glare as she passed him to approach the redhead. “I don’t think we’ve ever met. I’m Xion”

The redhead shook her hand with a grin, though his eyes looked at Roxas every now and then. Roxas pretended not to notice.

“I’m Axel. I would definitely remember a beauty such as yourself, so I’m sure it’s our first meeting” Roxas rolled his eyes as Xion’s giggle reached his ears. He tried to focus on the display of muffins instead. Kairi wasn’t lying when she’d said there were loads of different kinds.

Roxas was staring at the ones dubbed ‘The Choco Oozer’ and ‘Mini Strawberry Ecstasy’. He wasn’t sure whether he was amused or terrified by the names, but one thing he was certain of. They looked delicious and if he didn’t have a cat waiting at home to be fed, he’s spend all of his money on stuff from this bakery.

“Would you like to try something before buying it? It’s on the house” he was so startled by the voice he jumped a little. That made the redhead laugh quietly, and when Roxas looked at him, the redhead’s eyes were filled with amusement. They were a really pretty shade of green, now that the blond looked at them. Not that he was staring. When he didn’t answer, the redhead continued.

“I mean, you let me leave without paying. Well, I’ll still pay on Friday, obviously, but that was really nice of you. And kind of dumb. People will take advantage of that”

“It’s not like I let everyone leave without paying” Roxas just wanted to defend himself, really, but it was apparently the wrong thing to say. The redhead – Axel? – looked way too satisfied and pleased with himself after that particular answer, and Roxas wanted to shoot himself. Xion’s sniggers somewhere on the other side of the small bakery weren’t helping.

“Why, I feel special then. I’ll treasure that memory” and the bastard had the nerve to _wink_.  Feeling his irritation rising, he pointed to the strawberry muffin.

“I’d like to try that one”

“Ah, the mini ecstasy huh? I can show you a bigger one” there it was, the wink. Roxas was just seconds away from slamming his fist against the guy’s face when he sidestepped, pointing to a fridge in the background. There, on the middle shelf, was a much bigger replica of the muffin, proudly dubbed as ‘Big Strawberry Ecstasy’. Fucking _hilarious_.

Apparently, Xion had not only heard and seen the whole exchange, but also found it funny, if her loud laughter was anything to go by. Roxas, on the other hand, was not nearly as amused as his friend. It must have showed on his face, because suddenly the muffin was placed in front of him, and the redhead’s perverted grin was replaced with a smaller smile.

“Ron really likes the hairball paste, by the way. He’s pretty much addicted to it already. And I bought the mitt, too. Once the other animals saw me petting Ron, they formed a line and I had to pet all of them. I think I can make three wigs from all the excessive fur” the comment, as unhappy as Roxas was to admit it, made him smile. If there were two things the blond was a sucker for, they were sweets and animals. And the muffin was worth of its’ name. It _was_ an ecstasy.

“I’m glad to hear it. Most of the cats like it, but there are always exceptions”

“Yeah, I gave it to my other cats too. Harry likes it just as much as Ron does, but Hermione spat it all over my sofa. Ignis, my dog, sat on it before I could clear it and then I had to get it out of his fur. It was a disaster. I think I ended up wetter than he did” Roxas laughed at that, and the redhead looked incredibly pleased with himself.

“Are we talking about dogs doing dumb things? Because if we are, Sméagol, that’s my dog, was chasing a fly yesterday and he jumped on the kitchen table and sent my spaghetti flying everywhere. There was tomato sauce on _everything_ ” said Xion, who appeared next to them and took a bite out of Roxas’ muffin without permission. He glared at her, but she wasn’t looking at him.

“Say, those are made out of heaven. Did you sell your soul to the devil to acquire godly baking skills?” Axel, or at least Roxas was almost sure it was the guy’s name, laughed at the question and winked at them again. The blond was really getting too used to it to care anymore.

“Now that would be telling. Is there anything else you’d like to try? I do owe Doctor here for letting me leave without paying yesterday”

“Call him Roxas” this glare she definitely _did_ see, as she stuck her tongue out at him. “And would you happen to have anything with salted caramel?”

“Sure. Muffins, cookies, shortcakes, sponge cakes, anything you’d like, Miss”

“Then two shortcakes. And we’ll pay for them, ‘cause that’s what we originally came here for. And I’d like the Dulce de Leche cake. And, uhm, and three of these Strawberry Ecstasies. Mini ones. Rox, are you taking anything else?”

“Yeah. I’ll take three of these Oozers, a slice of key lime pie and something called…” he checked his message from Kairi again, not sure if he remembered the name correctly “Destiny’s Embrace? Whatever that is”

“It’s a cake with paopu fruit and kiwi, orange jelly and cream. A whole cake or just a slice?” paopu with kiwi. That sounded like Kairi alright.

“Whole, I guess” he was pretty sure she mentioned that Sora and Riku would be coming to visit. And even if that wasn’t today, he was still sure she’d end up eating the whole thing. Ever since she found out she was pregnant, she started using it as a perfect excuse to eat twice the amount of cakes. Ventus, the lovesick fool, didn’t have the balls to refuse her. Roxas, the poor in-law, didn’t either. Kairi was a scary scary woman without her weekly cake intake.

The redhead started packing their sweets and Roxas busied himself with looking away from Xion’s smug face. He was certain she’d start nagging him the moment they left the bakery. In fact, he was almost sure she was just about to whisper something in his ear when her phone started ringing. She checked the ID and groaned.

“It’s Zack. I bet he’s bored. I don’t want to hear about your brother’s perfect ass or lovely eyes anymore, Rox. That’s _all_ he talks about when he’s bored” she picked up anyway, declaring she’d wait for him outside and that she’d pay him back later.

“So perfect asses and lovely eyes run in the family, huh?” the voice startled him and he jumped again. He’d completely forgotten about the redhead.

“And you were just getting bearable, too” Roxas groaned, ignoring the laughter that left the redhead’s mouth.

“I couldn’t resist. So you originally came here for the salted caramel shortcakes, huh? You and your partner in crime are some salted caramel addicts or something? You go around bakeries and cake shops and judge them basing on their salted caramel products?” Roxas rolled his eyes.

“You could say that. If your salted caramel shortcake sucks, you’ll never see me here again”

“Oh yeah? Then I’d say I have pretty big chances of seeing you again, Doctor” the redhead had the nerve to wink again, and honestly, Roxas was expecting that. “One receipt or separate ones?”

“One” he didn’t bother to reply to the first comment. Maybe if he ignored him, the guy would get the hint.

“That’ll be 86 munny”

“Eighty- _six_? Damn, that’s expensive”

“Paopu fruit isn’t cheap, my friend. Destiny’s Embrace is the most expensive cake we have on our regular menu” that shouldn’t have surprised Roxas. Kairi had always had talent to order the most expensive things. Usually that wasn’t important. Usually Kairi paid for herself. Or Ven paid for her. What a sad day for Roxas’ wallet it was. Reluctantly, he handed the exact amount to the redhead. In exchange, he received two bags and a wink.

“The left one is your friend’s. The right one is yours. I hope you see the superiority of my salted caramel products and return soon, Doctor. If not, well, till Friday”

Roxas graced him with one last eye roll and a half-hearted ‘Bye’. In front of the bakery, Xion was still on the phone with her brother, and judging by her twitching eye, she had most likely been forced to listen to another ‘Cloud is perfect’ speech. Roxas had heard enough of them in the past to understand her pain. He patted her shoulder in support and she gave him the finger in return. There was some justice in the world, after all.

“Zack, that’s awesome, really, but Roxas needs my help. I have to go. I _have_ to. Call Terra. What? Well, then call Angeal. He’s visiting Sephiroth with Genesis? How about Kunsel? Yeah! I’m sure Kunsel misses your voice. Mm, bye” she let out a loud sigh of relief, looking at Roxas with wide, unhappy eyes.

“Did you know your brother owns chocobo-themed boxers that feature a chocobo’s open beak right where the crotch is? And that Zack’s face fits _right_ into the open beak?” Roxas grimaced, and she nodded in agreement “I never wanted to know that, Rox”

“I didn’t either!”

“If I have to suffer, _you_ have to suffer” they spent the rest of the walk home avoiding any and all topics regarding Zack, Cloud and chocobos. They mostly talked about Naminé’s upcoming birthday and Xion’s plans to surprise her with a trip to Besaid Island. It was a lovely, picturesque place located south of Destiny Islands.

“Don’t think the topic of Axel the hot redhead is over by the way. We’ll talk about it in the evening. Nami and I’ll drop by around 9!” Xion announced with a horribly stupid – at least in Roxas’ humble opinion – grin, when she passed flat number 113 and went into flat number 114. Roxas made sure to grumble about having awful neighbours loud enough for her to hear before the door to her flat slammed shut. He was pretty sure he heard her laughing.

Later that afternoon, after calling Sazh and making sure everything was alright in the clinic, and after calling Ventus and informing him he would be coming over around 7 with Kairi’s cake, he got around to putting away the many packages proudly dubbed ‘ ** _Burning Desire Bakery’_** into the fridge. All of them had the cake names written in a black sharpie, which Roxas thought was pretty thoughtful of the redhead. All but one, that is.

One of the boxes, about the same size as the one with his key lime pie slice, had a smiley face drawn on it. Despite his better judgement, he opened it and was met with a sight of a salted caramel cupcake, one neither he nor Xion ordered.  On the inside of the box, in the same sharpie that was used to sign all the packages, were the words ‘This one’s from Ron’.

With a grin on his face, and the cupcake in his right hand, Roxas decided that maybe the redhead wasn’t so bad after all.

xxx

It took Axel three months to _actually_ ask Roxas out.

When the blond had returned the day after he first wandered into the bakery, a feeling of overwhelming self-satisfaction and smugness filled Axel’s whole being. He made sure to let the vet know, which almost resulted in a fist smashing against his face. Almost, because there were other customers in the bakery, and the possibility of witnesses seemed to stop the aggressive blond from actually landing the punch.

Needless to say, Roxas had become a pretty frequent customer, to the point where even Selphie recognized him and called Axel from the kitchen whenever the blond walked in. Which sometimes resulted in some burnt cookies or bread, but that was alright. Only he and Selphie knew, and Selphie, being the sucker for romance that she was, seemed to find it not only romantic, but also very cute. Axel believed she had the wrong idea about their relationship, but that was alright, too. After all, it would have been a lie to say that he wasn’t interested in Roxas, if the heavy flirting going on between them was any indication. Or, well, he did the flirting. Roxas usually flipped him off or changed the topic altogether. He was good at that, pretending the flirting had never happened.

But Axel was certain that Roxas must have been at least a little bit attracted to him as well. He saw the tiny smiles that appeared on the vet’s face when, along with money, he’d hand him a plastic bag with a muffin or two after a visit in Destiny Animal Clinic with one of his animals. He saw the pink that sometimes dusted his cheeks after Axel would brush off Roxas’ hair from his face or compliment him. He saw that, despite always scowling whenever he’d receive a receipt with Axel’s number on it, he’d always pocket it instead of throwing it out. And, according to Selphie – and Selphie was the Master of Romance – Roxas had been staring at his ass twice.  That _must have_ been a good sign.

The problem with their relationship, or lack of it thereof, was the blond’s constant refusal of going out somewhere, be it just the two of them or in a group. The only places they even saw each other were the **_Burning Desire_** and the **_Destiny Animal Clinic_**. That hardly even made them friends, even if they were on first name basis, and even if Axel knew a lot of little things about the blond thanks to their short conversations. Hell, he knew more about him than he did about the last guy he had dated. Which wasn’t really that big of an achievement, considering he and his ex fucked most of the time. But still! The fact that he had even bothered to _remember_ these things had to count for something.

It also led him to a realization that he might have had a _crush_ on Roxas, which was a bit embarrassing, if only because it seemed so… _childish_ , to call it a crush. Attraction, sure, but that didn’t seem to fit well enough. There was this _craving_ to get to know him better, this _desire_ to make him smile. It was weird, so out of character for him. He had never spent this long _pursuing_ someone, especially when that someone kept rejecting his advances. But with Roxas, the tiniest smile, the faintest blush, the briefest skin-on-skin contact made him want to keep going, keep trying to woo the blond.

When he ran into Roxas in a _park_ of all things during his evening jog on Saturday, he hadn’t expected any breakthroughs. Granted, he also hadn’t expected he’d be seeing the blond anywhere else than either of their workplaces. Nor was he expecting both of them would be accompanied by women. Though Axel sometimes wondered if Larxene could even be classified as a human being. To him, she’d always been closer  to a dinosaur ancestor than a person. She probably shared genes with a T-Rex. That was entirely possible.

The blonde accompanying Roxas, though, that was an entirely different story. She was short, about a head shorter than Roxas. Her face was cute, with her big, blue eyes only a shade darker than the vet’s, and plump lips. She wore her long hair in a side braid. Her breasts, as far as Axel could tell, were pretty modest, but that, combined with the light blue dress and flip flops, somehow made her appear more _adorable_ , more _innocent_. To Axel, who had never met her, she was already as far away from innocent as possible, if only because her arm was hooked with Roxas’. Or maybe because, whatever she had said, made Roxas _laugh_. Axel had made Roxas laugh before, but never this easily, never for that long. And, as he looked at the couple, the word ‘jealousy’ burned in his mind.

“What’s with you, fire dick?” ‘fire dick’, as crude as that might have sounded, was Larxene’s pet name for him, one she had made up in 6th grade and had called him since. It was as close to affectionate as her pet names for anyone went, considering she called her own boyfriend ‘fruitcake’.

“Nothing” he muttered, averting his eyes from the pair and picking up his jog. Too late, though. She followed his eyes, a malicious grin appearing on her face, and grabbed onto his pants to stop him from running away.

“Nothing, hmm? And the hot piece of ass there wouldn’t be the ‘ass made for fondling, face made for staring, mouth made for kissing, salted caramel addict with the _prettiest_ _eyes_ _Larx_ – Roxas the vet’ would he? The one you’ve been _moaning_ about for the past few months at fucking 3 o’clock when I’ve been sucking off Marly or getting my pussy licked?”

“Oh my god stop with the sexcapades stories, I don’t want to imagine _that_. Fuck, that’s gross” unfortunately, that would explain the moaning and the sound of sucking he’d sometimes hear. God, it sucked, not having any single friends. Pun not intended. That one time when he’d called Demyx instead, he could swear he and Zex were getting it on. Probably on that sofa of theirs. The sex sofa.

“Pshh, yeah whatever. Anyway, lemme test my theory” before he could stop her, she opened her mouth wide and _yelled_ “Oy Roxas! You there, blondie! You Roxas?”

Axel begged all the deities out there that Roxas would ignore the yell, or just not hear it altogether. He’d never been liked by the universe much.

Roxas, a bit startled and wide eyed, looked for the source of the noise. His companion noticed them faster, her eyes lingering on Axel before moving on to the goddamn T-Rex standing next to him. Roxas, too, noticed them soon enough. He stared in confusion at a grinning Larxene, before his eyes moved to the redhead. Axel watched that pretty face turn into a scowl, and resisted the urge to drown Larxene in the park pond. He at least hoped the blond would ignore them and just avoid Axel for the rest of his life. That would have been better than being beaten to a bloody pulp and _then_ being avoided for the rest of his life. No such luck.

“Hey blondie. And blondie two” Larxene nodded at Roxas when he approached them together with his _girlfriend_. Axel just wanted to leave, and would have done so, if the T-Rex hadn’t been clutching him by his shoulder.

“Hello” surprisingly, it was the petite woman that had answered to Larxene’s greeting, her smile soft, but cautious. She was a bit behind Roxas, as though the vet had been putting himself in front of her to protect her, just in case. It only irritated Axel more.

“So, blondie, the one with the cock. Yeah, you. So, are you the infamous Roxas?” Roxas, as expected, looked quite off-put by her comment, but nodded nonetheless. His eyes had yet to meet Axel’s, and that kind of depressed the redhead.

“Yeah, what of it?” sharp. Defensive. Sounded like Roxas alright.

“Nothing, nothing, don’t get your panties in a knot. Geez, kid, lighten up. I just wanted to meet the dude fire dick over there’s been moaning about for months. Roxas this, Roxas that, you know how annoying it is to hear about your addiction to salted caramel while not even knowing how you look?” Roxas’ glare had softened into a look of surprise, and Axel’s desire to drown Larxene increased. Though perhaps setting her on fire would be better. Then again, real witches probably got out of being burned. Magic, and all that jazz. Larxene, aside for sharing her genepool with dinosaurs, probably had something of a witch in her too. Wouldn’t surprise him.

“You _talk_ about me?” Roxas’ voice startled Axel out of his musings, and he focused on the blond, who, as he noticed, was staring at him in wonder.  Before he got a chance to answer, however, Larxene butted in again.

“ _Talk_ about you? He practically moans about you like a teenager experiencing his first wet dream over that one busty teacher. God, kid, you’re kind of a _legend_ in our circle. He moans about you non-stop, we’ve all been wondering whatcha look like. Though I guess that when Axel said you were a hot-“ Axel covered her mouth before she could finish. He didn’t even let go when she licked his hand, despite how disgusted he felt. He had always known his friends would scare the first guy he had genuinely liked in a long time away.

But, much to his surprise, Roxas’ cheeks pinked a bit, his surprised eyes now looking directly at Axel for confirmation. The blonde girl behind him appeared to be _giggling_ , which only confused him more. Shouldn’t his girlfriend be upset by the news that some guy’s been pining after her boyfriend?

“Well I… might have mentioned you a few times. I- ouch what the fuck Larx-“

“A few times? I want to suck my boyfriend’s cock and then this asshole calls and talks about your pretty eyes. Makes me wanna gag” Larxene, who had freed herself after biting him, looked way too happy to share this information with the blond. Or maybe she was just happy to embarrass Axel. If that was so, she was succeeding. He had no idea his cheeks could burn so much.

“Pretty eyes?” the question sounded kind of weak, and Axel, who had averted his eyes in embarrassment, glanced at the blond. To his huge surprise, Roxas was _smiling_. It was a small, shy smile, but a smile nonetheless.

“And a glorious ass” Larxene added with an exaggerated nod, and Axel groaned. The girl behind Roxas laughed, hiding her reddening face in the blond’s back as her shoulders shook with giggles. Roxas himself looked more amused than upset now as well. Huh.

“You know, I kinda thought you’d beat me up if you heard that” the words weren’t meant to be said out loud. They were, anyway, and Roxas’ eyes locked with his again.

“It can still be arranged. That depends. Has he been saying anything about Xion’s ass being glorious?” the question was directed at Larxene, and it seemed to confuse her as much as it confused the redhead.

“Who the fuck is Xion? Nah blondie, your ass has been everything he’s thought about for the past few months” her answer seemed to calm not only Roxas, but the still giggling blonde behind him as well.

“Oh, good. If you were, I might have had to beat you up along with Roxas” the girl brushed away what looked to be a single tear from her left eye. She extended her hand to Larxene, and then to Axel, the soft smile returning to her pretty face

“I’m Naminé, Xion’s girlfriend. You must be Axel. I’ve heard a lot about you. Mostly from Xion, but Roxas mentioned you a few times as well” it was Roxas’ turn to groan, his cheeks reddening again. Axel felt a sudden wave of smugness and _hope_ washing over him. _Xion’s_ girlfriend.

“Oh yeah? All good things, I hope?” he winked at Roxas, who rolled his eyes. But the smile, the little smile, it was definitely there, and Axel just wanted to push the blond against a tree and kiss him to death.

“Who _cares_? Blondie’s not fucking blondie two, you can _still_ jack off to his ass, happy end. Now let’s get moving, my package with sex toys arrived today and Marly’s getting back soon” Larxene, the crazy bitch, started cackling again. Axel had long since grown used to comments like these, but Roxas and Naminé, judging by their red cheeks, were quite embarrassed by it.

Rather unhappily, he said his goodbyes to the two blondes, and after one last lingering look at Roxas, joined Larxene for the rest of their jog.

He spent the rest of the evening petting his cats and dogs, watching some stupid romance film called ‘ ** _Wishing Star’_** that Rinoa Heartilly was starring in, and thinking about Roxas. And feeling like a teenager experiencing his first wet dream, which, in turn, made him feel like an idiot. He was twenty eight. He was too _old_ for this. But, as he watched Rinoa Heartilly dramatically run into the arms of her co-star, he couldn’t help but wonder whether Roxas was the type to cuddle.

On Monday afternoon, just after Selphie had left for the day and he took her place on the cash register, Roxas had walked in, looking rather tired and distracted. He merely hummed in response to Axel’s question about a rough day, and only spoke in words when he placed his order. A loaf of bread, nothing more. When Axel gave him the receipt, with his phone number written above the bakery’s name as always, Roxas glanced at it and crushed it. And alongside it, a tiny part of Axel’s heart.

“I’ll do without it” Roxas said quietly. Instead of simply taking the loaf of bread he had purchased, though, he started rummaging in his pockets. After no longer than ten seconds, he took out two handfuls of receipts, newer and older, all branded with numbers written by Axel and the name of the bakery.

“I had so many of them, I’ve memorized the number. So you better memorize mine, too” Roxas smiled cheekily and, with a _wink_ , grabbed his loaf of bread and left the bakery. As soon as he was gone, Axel grabbed a random receipt and read it. Three weeks old, just above the bakery’s name, was Axel’s very own number. On the back, though, in a neat handwriting was a number that definitely did not belong to him. He grabbed another receipt, and another, and _another_ , and smiled like a _goof_. All of them, on their backs, had the same digits written in a black ink.

He took out his phone, not caring that he was technically still working. It was his bakery, and it’s not like he was going to fire himself. Glancing at the many receipts, he entered the digits into his phone and pressed ‘ ** _Call_** ’. One beep, two beeps, three-

“ _That was fast_ ” and it was Roxas’ voice, positively amused but excited, and Axel clenched a fistful of receipts to stop himself from grinning like an idiot.

“Three months, Roxas. That’s not fast”

“ _I don’t move fast, Axel. If you’re not ready to wait, we should just end it on a strictly business-like-_ “

“I can do three months. Or a year. Maybe more. Probably. I’d like to get to know you better first, though. Maybe over dinner at Tiana’s Palace? Maybe this Friday around… 7?” Roxas was silent for a few seconds.

“ _Okay. Yeah. It’s a date, then. See you_ ” even after Roxas had disconnected, Axel kept the phone close to his ear. This way, at least, he could pretend he was still talking to someone if a customer walked in. That, at least, wouldn’t make them question why he was grinning so stupidly.

xxx

Tiana’s Palace was easy to find, and not only because he, Naminé and Xion ate there at least thrice a month. It was a fairly popular place, but thanks to its’ size, there rarely were problems with getting a table. The prices were reasonable, the interior was nice, the staff was kind, but most of all, the food was delicious. He especially loved their gumbo, and was ready to order just that during his date with Axel.

Axel was just as easy to find inside the restaurant. With his vibrant, red hair, it was hard not to see him sitting by a wall, playing on his phone and sipping water. Seeing him there calmed Roxas down a bit, because while he didn’t think the redhead would stand him up, that possibility always existed. Of course, that didn’t mean he was entirely calm. Hell, he was actually really nervous. Considering it was his first date ever, though, he decided it was justified. With a deep breath, he approached the table and sat opposite the redhead, instantly gaining his attention.

“Hi” he greeted, refusing to turn his eyes away from the intense gaze.

“Hey” was an instantons reply, and then Axel was grinning that wide, happy grin of his that appeared on his face when he was particularly pleased with himself “I was starting to worry that you’d stand me up” Roxas quirked his eyebrow at that.

“It’s five to 7. I’m five minutes early”

“Yeah, well. I got here _twenty_ minutes early. Fifteen long minutes of waiting. But a bit of waiting is nothing to me” Axel winked, clearly hinting back to Roxas’ very own words about not moving fast. “Well then, while I was waiting I got a good look at the menu, so I know what  I want. You can-“

“I’m taking gumbo. I _always_ take gumbo at Tiana’s” it was non-negotiable. While at Tiana’s, take gumbo. Or at least, don’t ever stop him from ordering it. He would anyway, and if someone tried to stop him, they’d end up with a black eye.

Axel seemed a bit startled, but his surprise quickly turned into amusement. He laughed, and Roxas decided that he rather liked his laugh. It was a rich, pleasant sound, and it didn’t sound forced or uncomfortable at all. It was nice, really.

“So you’re addicted to salted caramel and gumbo. Is there something else I’m not aware of?”

“Plenty of things, I imagine. But I guess that’s what this date’s for” his answer seemed to please the redhead, who nodded with a grin.

They talked. They talked a lot. About themselves, their families, their animals, their likes and dislikes. About important things and things so trivial neither of them remembered them even two minutes later.

Axel told him all about his brothers. How the older one, Reno, worked as a bodyguard in the well-known Shinra Electric Power Company and had the most rotten luck with ladies, but still managed to find himself a wife. How Axel’s mother had wept during Reno’s wedding in happiness. How the younger brother, Lea, was in his final year of high school and his birth was a huge surprise to Mrs Sinclair, who hadn’t expected to get pregnant 14 years after having her first child. He had also told him all about his friends. About Zexion and Demyx’s sex sofa, about Larxene’s determination to find the Ultimate Sex Toy, about Marluxia’s obsession with Rinoa Heartilly. Roxas tried not to snort at the last information, trying to imagine how his cousin would react if he learnt that someone was this obsessed with his wife.

In return, Roxas told Axel all about _his_ family. How his mother had given up after a third son, and pretty much adopted Tifa and Kairi Lockhart as her own daughters. About how happy she was when Ventus and Kairi announced they were getting married and that Kairi would, in fact, become her daughter. About his parents’ divorce back when he was 12, and how strongly it had affected Cloud. How it was Zack who helped bring the happiness back into Cloud’s life. Roxas told Axel about how there were rumours back in high school that he, Xion and Naminé had a love triangle going on, which ended rather abruptly when Xion frenched Naminé during Art. Roxas even told Axel that he had never before been in a relationship.

“Never? Never _ever_?”

“Yup”

“Damn. How come no one wanted to tap that ass of yours?” Roxas rolled his eyes at the comment.

“Oh, they wanted to. _I_ didn’t want them to” Axel held his gaze, but instead of replying with some cheeky comment like ‘Then I’ll be the first’ like the blond was expecting him to, he simply started to stroke the back of Roxas’ hand with his thumb. Roxas realized that it wasn’t bothering him as much as he thought it would. Actually, it wasn’t bothering him at all. It felt nice.

They left the restaurant a good two hours after finishing their meals, both in great moods. Roxas couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed so much, and his good mood seemed to make Axel equally ecstatic. Since Axel had walked to Tiana’s Palace, Roxas offered him a lift, which was enthusiastically accepted. After parking next to the redhead’s apartment complex, Roxas turned off the car and they talked even more. Axel’s thumb kept stroking the back of his hand, and at one point, the blond simply turned his hand around and entwined their fingers. They sat like that, holding hands in Roxas’ car and talking for what felt like eternity , but couldn’t have been longer than an hour. Finally, when the tiredness got the better of them and forced a yawn out of Roxas, they decided to call it quits.

“I had loads of fun, Roxie” Roxas rolled his eyes at the nickname, but the smile didn’t disappear from his face.

“I actually had loads of fun too, _Axie_ ” Axel grinned, but it was softer than his usually cheeky, confident grin. The redhead looked at their still linked hands, tightening his grip on Roxas.

“I hope you’re aware I’m going to insist on a second date now. And most likely a third one. Probably a hundredth, too” it was probably meant to be sweet, or romantic. But it sounded so cheap, so _cheesy_ , like something taken out straight from some bland romance novel. It didn’t fit Axel’s image at all, and Roxas laughed, for probably a billionth time that evening.

“That was _horrible_ , please don’t try to be romantic anymore. Who even _counts_ dates after the tenth one anyway?”

“You wound me, Rox. You think I can’t be romantic?”

“You burped so loudly at the table that the guy behind us turned kinda green. You told me a story about how you and your friend had a farting contest, and the waitress that overheard us looked about ready to throw up. You said my hair looks like a magnificent combination of being hit by a lightning and waking up after the biggest hangover. How is any of that romantic?” Axel looked unfazed at the accusations.

“I said your eyes were pretty”

“Correction. You said my eyes were _so_ pretty someone would come after me and gouge them out and frame them and stare at them every night. That’s not romantic, that’s _creepy_ ” Axel looked about ready to argue, but then again, Axel seemed like the kind of person that argued with someone just for the point of arguing. And while that might have been an interesting conversation some other time, right now Roxas was tired and Frodo had probably eaten all of his food.

“I gotta go. That’s me subtly telling you to get out of my car” he felt his hand being squeezed one last time, and then the warmth was gone. He kind of wanted it back.

“Come to the bakery tomorrow. I know this guy, Scrooge. He’s this crazy scientist from my hometown that’s looking for the perfect ice cream flavour. The ‘Absolute Flavour’ or whatever he calls it. He’s come up with a lot of questionable, disgusting and just downright _wrong_ flavours, like a smelly sock or cat piss. But he’s actually invented a lot of great ones, too. There’s one that I think you might really like. I’ve been experimenting with it, putting it into various cakes, and they’ve turned out delicious if I were to say so myself. That’s me subtly seducing you into another date”

“By offering me cakes?” Roxas asked, his eyebrow raised in amusement.

“The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. According to my grandma anyway. But considering you’re a regular at my workplace and she’s been married to my grandpa for 50 years? I’d say she’s right” before Roxas could reply, something warm and wet was pressed against his forehead. The light pressure was gone almost as quickly as it appeared, and the blond found himself staring at Axel with widened eyes.

“Sweet dreams, Rox. Dream of me” and then the redhead was gone, leaving Roxas slightly frustrated and craving more. He knew that some part of him should have been irritated at Axel for just kissing him like that. Granted, it was only on the forehead, but Roxas didn’t like people anywhere near his personal bubble if he didn’t feel comfortable around them. Then again, he _did_ feel comfortable around the redhead, and the sole fact he held hands with him was proof enough.

When Roxas came to the bakery the following day, Axel offered him something he’d proudly called a ‘Sea Salt Delight’. Roxas wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be a cake or a jelly, but he bit into it anyway. As the treat melted in his mouth, and as he caught Axel’s smug smirk, he thought back to what the redhead had said the day before. Perhaps the way to Roxas’ heart was through his stomach after all. If it was, then Axel was on the right track.

xxx

For the next few weeks, Axel felt as though he had gone back in time and turned into a teen that had a whole list of firsts to live through all over again. He wasn’t a shy person, nor was he inexperienced. He’d made out and fucked with a fair share of people he fancied – and even some he didn’t, but those were the years of drunken college partying that were, thankfully, behind him. But with Roxas, as stupid as that might have sounded, he honestly felt as though he was back at the starting line, with a clean plate and eagerness to learn how to suck cock all over again.

Just as Roxas had promised, he didn’t move fast. He was alright with holding hands and with kisses that would be better described as pecks on cheeks, nose and forehead, but nothing besides that. From Axel’s observations, it wasn’t even that the blond was shy or embarrassed by it. He didn’t have a problem with holding the redhead’s hand in public, and judging by the knowing smirks he’d send Axel’s way when he’d see him staring at his ass, he was well aware of his attractiveness. Roxas just didn’t _want_ to move fast. Whether that was to test how serious Axel was about this whole thing or something different, though, the redhead wasn’t sure.

But one thing was certain. Axel _was_ serious about this whole thing, so much that it surprised not only his friends, but even himself. He wasn’t used to _pining_ after someone. He was used to some flirting that usually ended with a quickie or a whole night filled with moans and pleasure. Dates, holding hands, affectionate kisses and hugs, that wasn’t usually what he was looking for in a relationship. But it seemed to be what _Roxas_ was looking for, and Axel realized he didn’t mind giving it. He didn’t mind working for the blond’s affections, and that thought kind of scared him. But only kind of. Whenever he’d find himself having second thoughts and wanting to drop the blond for some hot brunet from a bar, Roxas would either show up at the bakery with that cute frown of his or send him a text. And Axel’s heart would do this weird _squeezing_ thing and he’d find himself baking heart-shaped cookies. It were times like these he realized how _gay_ he was and how he shouldn’t spend any more time with Marluxia when Larxene was absent. Because whenever Larxene was away on a business trip, Marluxia insisted on having film marathons that usually consisted of at least five romantic comedies, three out of these usually starring Rinoa Heartilly.

“I bet you 20 munny he’s thinking about Roxas again. That’s his ‘Roxas marry me’ look”

“I have no desire to bet otherwise, Demyx. That would be a very foolish way to lose money”

“If you guys aren’t buying anything, get the hell out”

“Hey! We’re customers! Don’t talk to us like that!” Axel heaved a sigh, reminding himself that murdering his friends wouldn’t give his bakery the best of names. But it would certainly bring the attention of the media. ‘ _Baker murders two friends, sells cookies drenched in their blood’_.

“Customers usually buy something. If you want to be customers, buy something Dem. If not, get the hell out” his blond friend whined, but then again, when _didn’t_ Demyx whine? There probably was a time like that. In another universe, in another life. Then again, probably not. Demyx was the Ultimate Master of Whining and Annoyance. He wouldn’t be Demyx otherwise.

“Oh yeah, I bet if _Roxas_ came and didn’t want to buy anything, you wouldn’t be talking to him like that” there was a smirk on Demyx’s face that Axel really wanted to wipe away. Preferably with his own fist. 

“I wouldn’t come if I didn’t want to buy something, though” the amused voice coming from the door made all the thoughts of beating Demyx up vanish from Axel’s mind. He looked up, a wide grin spreading across his face.

“Roxie! You wound me, you wouldn’t come just to see _this_ hot piece of ass?” Axel made sure to point at himself to stop Roxas from being an asshole and looking at one of his friends instead. Roxas made sure to be an asshole anyway, pretending to look around and saying he didn’t see one. “I find that offensive, Rox”

“And I really don’t care, Ax. Your friends?” the blond asked, looking from Demyx, who looked about ready to piss himself from excitement, to the typically stoic Zexion.

“Yeah, that’s-“

“Hi! I’m Demyx! I’ve heard _so_ much about you, man, you’re practically a legend! Larxene said she’s met you before, but I didn’t believe her, but Axel said she _did_ meet you before and I was _so_ jealous and angry. I mean, dude, me and Ax-

“Axel and I.“

“Yeah okay Zexy, Axel and I’ve been friends since forever, man, _forever_. I thought it was obvious I’d get to meet the guy that’s got him whipped-“ Axel’s cry of denial at being whipped was ignored “-first but _nooo_. He let _Larxene_ meet you first. Not only that, it’s been _weeks_ since then and I haven’t met you till now, how rude is that? He’s an asshole, don’t ya think? I think he’s an asshole. But he’s still my best friend so I’m going to forgive him and-“

“And I’m Zexion. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Roxas” Demyx pouted at being interrupted, but moved on quickly, running up to hug both Zexion and Roxas, who were shaking hands. Roxas tensed up a little, something Axel noticed at once, but his shoulders relaxed just as quickly.

“It’s nice to meet you. Axel talks a lot about you guys, too” the redhead ignored Demyx’s delighted squeal of ‘I knew he cared!’ and tapped his fingers against the counter in irritation.

“Okay, yeah, Axel talks about everyone. Axel’s a mushy idiot. I get it. Now back off, Dem, give the poor guy some space” Demyx turned around and stuck his tongue out, and Zexion just shook his head. Axel assumed it was Zexion’s very own way of saying ‘I don’t give a fuck anymore, this shit’s too tiresome to deal with for me’. It wouldn’t surprise him if he was right.

“Aw, are you jealous? It’s okay, I won’t steal your man. I have Zexy. He’s much cuter! I mean, you’re very cute too Roxie, can I call you Roxie?, but I mean, my Zexy’s cuter. Aren’t you, Zex? Yes you _are_ ”

“Please stop cooing at me like you would at your dog, Demyx. I find that very offensive and my irritation is rising” Axel groaned at his friends’ antics. He’d always known his friends would be the downfall of his relationship. It was just a matter of time before Roxas decided he wasn’t ready for this kind of lifestyle. Lifestyle filled with Demyx randomly coming over at midnight on Tuesdays and Larxene talking about her BDSM related fantasies that she’s most likely practised with Marluxia. Hell, Axel had known his friends for years and he _still_ sometimes wasn’t ready for this kind of lifestyle. He was kind of stuck with it though. Especially since he liked to walk his dogs at 4AM, which, according to Zexion, was weird. But Zexion liked to read dictionaries for _fun_.  Zexion had no right to call anyone weird.

“While they’re distracted, I’d like to order a whole bunch of things for Saturday” Roxas, as always, interrupted his musings and handed him a list. Written on it was, indeed, a whole bunch of things. The redhead raised his eyebrow when he reached the crossed out words _’10 strawberry shortcakes’_ , which were corrected to ‘ _100 strawberry shortcakes; ZACK’S COMING, Rox, ZACK’_ in a different handwriting.

“Huh. That _is_ a lot of things. You throwing a party or something, Rox?” he tucked the list safely into his pocket.

“Something like that. Naminé’s older sister and her wife are coming to celebrate Nami’s successful art show. So of course Zack and my brother will be coming, too. And when Kairi heard there’ll be cake from your bakery, she said she’d be coming, too. Which means _Ven_ will come, which means he’ll invite Terra and Aqua. And if Kairi’s coming, Sora will probably hear one way or another and he’ll come with Riku, too. Vanitas will probably find out somehow and show up uninvited as always. And Squall won’t want to go but when his wife finds out…” the blond trailed off, looking absolutely _disgusted_ at the sole idea of all of these people coming over to his flat.

“Sounds like a blast” Axel didn’t really know any of Roxas’ family members personally, but he’s heard enough about them to conclude that they were a crazy bunch.

“Do you want to come?” it was asked quietly and almost too quickly to hear properly. At first, Axel thought he’d imagined hearing it. But then he glanced at Roxas, and the light pink on the blond’s cheeks was all the confirmation he needed.

“Hell yeah” he was aware he was smiling like an idiot. He was aware it was weirdly quiet in the bakery, meaning Zexion and Demyx were probably eavesdropping. And he was aware that the tightness in his chest had nothing to do with nausea or imagination. But honestly, he couldn’t give a damn.

“Okay. Great. See you, then. It was nice meeting you, Demyx, Zexion” Roxas exited to the chorus of ‘You too!’ from both Zexion and Demyx. As soon as he was gone, Axel allowed his smile to widen into a goofy grin.

“Dude. You’re _so_ smitten”

“Fuck off, Dem”

xxx

Roxas loved his family. He loved his mother and his brothers, his aunt and uncle and cousins, he loved his in-laws and in-laws-to-be. If someone threatened them, Roxas would grab a knife and fight the world in order to protect his loved ones. They meant everything to him and, no matter what he sometimes said, he wouldn’t exchange them for anything. There were just days when he couldn’t stand them. Where he wanted to be the one to stab every single one of them with a filleting knife and use their insides as Halloween decorations.

That Saturday was one of these days. Actually, that weekend would be a few of these days, as it had all begun on Friday evening with Zack’s arrival.

Roxas loved Zack. He was a funny guy with loads of hilarious stories to tell, and the blond had often found himself incredibly relaxed and at peace with the world after spending a few hours with his brother-in-law. He also obviously made Cloud happy, and as a protective brother, that was one of the things that counted to Roxas the most. Over the course of years, the older man had become as much of a brother to him as Cloud and Ventus were. Of course, Zack wasn’t perfect. Zack was far from perfect, in fact. He was loud, annoying and had a tendency of doing squats wherever he went. That wasn’t even so bad, even if waking up in the middle of the night and seeing Zack doing squats in the kitchen at 2AM for the first time _was_ quite a shock. No, the problem with Zack was his tendency to bring disasters with himself. Like that Friday evening, for instance, when he’d returned home from the clinic at 10PM and found Cloud and his husband trying to put out a small fire in Roxas’ kitchen. Cloud swore he only went to the toilet and when he’d returned, the fire was already there. Roxas believed him. Zack, after all, had the tendency of doing frightening things in mare _seconds_.

When Roxas went to work on Saturday morning, he left with both dread and relief. He didn’t even want to think how his flat would look like after he’d come back, but getting away from his in-law, who had talked till _sunrise_ , seemed like a wonderful idea. Such a wonderful idea, in fact, that he wondered if he could take Vanille’s shift and stay in the clinic till evening. A message from Axel shattered these dreams, reminding him that he had invited the redhead to this stupid family party thing. And he’d rather eat Zack’s cooking than let the guy he liked meet that bunch of weirdoes by himself.

It was still a weird thought, him liking Axel. Even though it had been about two months since their first date, and even though he was really comfortable around the redhead, the idea of actually liking that cocky moron was _baffling_. Not even six months ago they were strangers, and now that overconfident asshole would be meeting quite a lot of his family members. How could one person worm their way into someone’s heart so quickly anyway?

Before he knew it, the clock struck 3 and Vanille ran into the clinic with her usual, bright smile. He heard Sazh sighing in exasperation somewhere in the background, and he silently agreed, but for a different reason. Despite her cheerfulness, he found Vanille an extremely good company on the more boring days. She had a lot of things to say, but sometimes, when she’d realize the other person wasn’t in the mood to talk, she’d just hum quietly to herself. No, it wasn’t Vanille’s happy attitude that made him sigh. It was the fact he had to leave his workplace and go back home to greet his doom. But not before picking up Axel and billions of cookies and cakes that cost _way_ too much. At least he was splitting the bill with Xion, Naminé, Ventus and Kairi.

When he got to the bakery, he wasn’t surprised to see Axel already waiting outside the building, two massive bags in both of his hands. Roxas parked the car right beside him, and was greeted with a grin as soon as the passenger door were opened.

“Hey babe” the quick peck planted on Roxas’ cheek didn’t come as much of a surprise anymore, but it still made him feel all fuzzy inside. As did the pet name.

“Don’t call me that. Won’t it be a trouble for you to close up early today?”

“Nah, you’ve ordered so much, I think I’ll have a week’s income thanks to you alone, _sugar lips_ ” Roxas rolled his eyes at the nickname, not sure if this one was worse than babe. It probably was. “But seriously, I need to look for another baker. Sometimes it gets hard to do all of this stuff alone, you know? Plus some free weekends every now and again would be nice. For example, if you and I wanted to go to some nice resort for some hot and steamy adventures, the bakery could be open under Selphie’s and the second baker’s watchful eye. And you and I could focus on ourselves. Wouldn’t that be nice, honey?”

“Yeah, _darling_ , sure” he watched, from the corner of his eye, as Axel’s smirk widened. Honestly, it was so easy to please him sometimes. 

“So. Any tips on how to impress your family?” the question amused him as much as it confused him.

“Why would you need to impress them?” he didn’t look at the redhead, too focused on the road, but he knew that if he did, he’d see that stupid look on his face. That stupid face that he made when he was thinking something equally idiotic.

“So neither of them can say I’m no good for you. It’d be kinda hard to show up to all family reunions with you if your family hated me, yeah? I mean, I’d still come. Can’t leave my baby doll alone” Axel’s stupid pet names aside, Roxas was actually a little bit touched by that statement. The redhead wanted to make a good impression so his presence during possibly next family reunions wouldn’t be questioned. That was kind of… sweet, really. And surprisingly thoughtful, coming from Axel.

“Don’t fight destiny, Ax. At least one person from them is bound to hate you. But Vanitas hates almost everyone anyway, so don’t take it to heart. Just don’t comment on Tifa’s breasts or Squall’s scar and you should be fine”

“And at least one of the people there is bound to adore me, _right_ , baby cakes?”

“Well, yeah. Aerith is very open-minded and I’m sure she’ll adore even a freak like you” the hand that suddenly started rubbing up and down his thigh almost made him swerve into another lane. _Almost_.

“I meant _you_ , Roxie” Roxas had always found it unfair, how low and sensual Axel’s voice could become in a matter of seconds. It made him want to straddle the taller man and kiss him senseless. Which was stupid, because _he_ was the one that didn’t want to move too fast. Then again, after two months, a make out session was in order wasn’t it? He glanced at the hand resting on his thigh, before his eyes flickered to the redhead. Axel was looking at him with that cocky smirk on his face that made Roxas want to punch and kiss him all at once.

He decided to act on his instinct, and after making sure that the light was still red, he leaned across his seat, his hand tugging Axel down by his collar. Not giving the redhead a chance to comprehend what was happening, he pressed their lips together in a short, sloppy kiss. Axel’s lips were warm and soft, and Roxas liked the feeling of having them against his own. Despite that, he pulled away all too soon. He had a road to focus on, and a flat to rescue. Zack, even under supervision, was dangerous. And if Sora already arrived? A burning building wouldn’t be surprising. 

Axel seemed to have different plans, though. Roxas felt a hand slipping behind his neck and pulling him closer. The still unfamiliar feeling of lips being pressed against his caused him to tense up a little.

“Relax” the whisper against his lips, and the hand running along his thigh relieved some of the tension from his shoulders. He was still aware of the seatbelt digging into his chest and the fact that the lights would turn green soon. But as Axel’s lips became more insistent, all rational thoughts left his mind and he kissed back, allowing his own hand to tangle into Axel’s red hair.

It was the sound of a horn from the car behind them that broke them apart. Roxas, startled and flushed, glanced at the light and upon seeing that it was green, stepped on the gas without a second thought. He could hear Axel chuckling, but he didn’t dare look at the other man right now. The redhead’s hand didn’t leave his thigh, though, and Roxas found he didn’t really mind.

Just as he didn’t mind Axel leaning across the seat to steal a kiss every time they stopped at the lights. By the time they’ve reached his flat, Axel was grinning like an idiot and Roxas tried to hide his embarrassment with a scowl.

“No matter what you see or hear inside there, you can’t judge me, Ax” he warned quickly, taking one of the bags with cakes and hurrying into the building. It was still standing, and he didn’t see any smoke coming, but that didn’t mean everything was fine. Caution was the key to success. He picked up his pace, climbing two stairs at a time. Just in case. As they reached the floor he lived on, he felt Axel’s fingers intertwining with his own.

“You family can’t be that ba-“

“Fuck off Sora, that’s my pizza!” the scream, that Roxas was almost completely positive belonged to Kairi, shut up Axel’s ridiculous statement. The redhead had no idea what kind of people Roxas had to deal with for his whole life. He had no right to be this _optimistic_. That would only crush the poor fool.

“Just. Just stick to me, Ax. I’ll introduce you to Aerith. She’ll protect you from my family” they stopped in front of flat number 113 and Roxas took a deep breath. They were going to make fun of him for getting a, dare he say it, _boyfriend_ , till the rest of the night. Or the rest of eternity. Inviting Axel was a stupid idea after all. But there was no going back.

He opened the door and stepped inside, his nostrils filling with the smell of pizza and other fast food. With Axel’s hand securely in his, he cautiously made his way to the living room where he was sure most of the people would be.

Sure enough, he easily noticed Sora pouting at Kairi from his place on the floor. The redheaded girl looked triumphant, holding a box of pizza close to her huge stomach. Roxas wondered, briefly, if a pizza was the perfect meal for a pregnant woman, but then concluded that Kairi wouldn’t eat anything to hurt her baby. Riku, from his place near the TV, looked at his two best friends with amusement clearly visible in his eyes. Xion, who was sitting on the sofa besides Kairi, was happily munching on her own piece of pizza and nodding at something Aqua had said. Squall was talking with Tifa and Zack beside the window, and Ventus and Vanitas appeared to _already_ be yelling at each other, with Terra trying to calm them down. That left Naminé, Aerith, Rinoa and Cloud. Judging by the voices coming from the kitchen, that’s most likely where they were. Deciding that he’d rather face these four first, he pulled Axel away from the living room.

Just as he had suspected, Aerith and Cloud were talking in hushed voices next to the fridge, and Rinoa was helping Naminé cut the fruits into pieces. He cleared his throat quietly, not wanting the lot in the living room to hear. Just as he had hoped, he gained their full attention. He tried to ignore Cloud’s piercing stare directed at his redheaded companion. He also tried to ignore how painful Axel’s grip on his hand was becoming. He knew how terrifying Cloud’s glare could be. He didn’t blame the redhead for being nervous.

“I bought the cakes, Nam” the blonde beamed at him, nodding her head in thanks. Rinoa waved at them, or at him, as Axel was still locked in a stare with his older brother, and Aerith smiled, before swatting Cloud on the shoulder and muttering something that sounded suspiciously like ‘Stop scaring the poor boy, Cloud!’. Axel visibly relaxed after the older blond’s glare was turned elsewhere.

“It’s good to see you, Roxas. You’re getting more and more handsome. And who’s your friend?” Aerith asked kindly, motioning to the redhead.

“And you’re getting more beautiful, Aerith. And this is Axel, my, uh-“

“Boyfriend. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss. Rox mentioned that you were kind, but he never said you were so beautiful” Roxas rolled his eyes when Axel lifted Aerith’s hand to kiss it. Then he turned to do the same to Rinoa’s, but froze as soon as he realized who she was. Roxas could almost hear the thoughts behind that horrified face. The redhead had told him about his friend’s, Marluxia’s, adoration for Rinoa and how he made everyone watch all the films she had starred in. To be seeing her in real life, that must have been a blow Axel wasn’t expecting.

“In case you were wondering, yeah, that’s Rinoa Heartilly. Though Rinoa Leonhart would be more accurate now. She’s my cousin’s wife and outside of the stupid films she’s played in, she’s alright”

“Don’t make me spank you with a spoon, Roxas. It’s not my fault you don’t have a single romantic bone in your body. You’re just like Squall, honestly!” Rinoa moved in front of Axel and shook his hand energetically “Nice to meet you, Axel was it? Don’t let Roxas’ rudeness chase you away, he’s a sweetheart underneath all that grumpiness. It’s in his blood. My husband is the same”

Roxas watched as Axel nodded weakly, still obviously a bit spooked by his biggest nightmare suddenly appearing in front of him. Roxas almost felt bad. Almost. Not bad enough to not introduce the redhead to his older brother.

“You didn’t mention a boyfriend, Roxas”

“You didn’t mention chocobo boxers, Cloud” he held his brother’s stare.

“Fair enough. As long as you’re happy, Rox” Cloud ruffled his hair with a small smile before, once more, turning his attention to Axel, who looked incredibly uncomfortable “It was nice to meet you, Axel”

“You too” both of them watched as Cloud exited the kitchen together with Aerith and Rinoa, and Axel let out a loud sigh of relief. “That was terrifying. Your brother is terrifying. He was trying to kill me with his eyes. Please tell me I’ve met all the scary members of your family”

Roxas only smiled apologetically and led the redhead to the living room.

xxx

“Hey. Sorry for calling so late” Axel leaned down to peck the blond on the lips before letting him inside. Winters in Twilight Town weren’t exactly the worst, but they were far from nice and warm. Roxas’ cheeks were pink from the cold, and he was shivering ever so slightly. He looked tired, too, and Axel instantly felt guilty for asking him to come. He pulled Roxas into a hug, and for once, the blond didn’t struggle, letting the redhead’s warmth surround him.

“It’s fine. I have tomorrow off anyway, so it doesn’t matter” Roxas mumbled into his shoulder. Axel glanced down at the shorter man and, not for the first time, caught himself thinking how adorable the blond was.

“Ah, I love your abnormal body heat on days like that. Really comes in handy”

“Oh, so you’re only after my body? My heart’s breaking, Rox” Roxas laughed quietly and pulled him down for a kiss, something Axel obliged to with enthusiasm.

“Mm, I wouldn’t put up with you for your body alone, idiot” something about these words made Axel want to press Roxas against the wall and kiss him senseless. He would have, too, if Roxas hadn’t stepped back “But I’m not here for you. Where’s my little patient?”

“She’s in my bedroom. I thought it would be best to isolate her from other cats and the dogs for the time being” he took Roxas’ coat and showed him the way to his bedroom. Before they entered, the blond put on a mask and gloves, motioning for Axel to do the same. Not finding a valid reason to argue, he did as he was told and opened the door.

Hermione was sleeping on his bed, looking like a sad, tired mess. She was usually a very lively and curious cat, chasing after mosquitoes and other bugs. She loved playing with the other cats, and she liked to cuddle with the dogs on a particularly cold evening. She’d circle around Axel’s legs to be noticed and petted, and would meow loudly and unhappily if the bowl with food was empty. In the past few days, though, she seemed to have lost both her cheerfulness and appetite. Not only that, she started sneezing frequently and would sleep most of the day away.

Roxas crouched down next to her, gently patting her on the head. For the next few minutes, he kept quiet, only checking the cat for symptoms. Finally, after what felt like an hour later to Axel, the blond stood up and faced him.

“I’m pretty sure it’s cat flu. As you’ve noticed, her eyes are swollen and bloodshed. The substance running down her nose is green and a little thick. That means she’s probably well on her fifth or so day of the illness. Her loss of appetite might have to do with her losing smell for the time being. Offer her something that has a really strong smell, or try to force feed her. If she stops drinking water, you have to force it into her as well. Just fill a normal, plastic syringe with water and pour it into her mouth slowly. Her tongue is alright. I’ll give you some eye drops for her eyes. If her sneezing gets worse or if the substance from her nose starts to worry you, please contact me as soon as possible. I’ll give her antibiotics then. Other than that, just keep her warm and comfortable, and make sure she eats and drinks. And keep her isolated here for the time being. There’s a chance she just has a really weak immune system and your other cats would be alright, but let’s not tempt fate. The symptoms may last up to two weeks, but she might get back to health earlier or a bit later. For now, you should let her rest”

“Gotcha. Do you want something to drink? Coffee, tea, whiskey…” he closed the door to his bedroom quietly, making his way after Roxas to the kitchen. The blond knew his way around Axel’s flat like the back of his own hand, and something about that thought pleased the redhead immensely. Then again, lately a lot of things pleased Axel when they had to do with Roxas.

“Water would be great, thanks” after washing his hands, Roxas sat on one of the chairs and busied himself with scratching Gladio behind his ear. Gladio was one of Axel’s two dogs, the other being Ignis. Axel had named them after the actors of that one TV show about a Crown Prince on the run that Demyx was obsessed with. ‘ ** _Brotherhood Fantasy’_** or something like that. Both of Axel’s dogs also absolutely adored Roxas and made it their personal goal to steal him away from the redhead. Axel was sure of that.

“So how’s Penelo doing?” Roxas asked, smiling up at Axel gratefully when a glass with water was placed in front of him.

“She’s doing alright. I mean, bread and apple pie are definitely her favourites to make, but her other stuff is good, too. I think you’d approve. I’m still teaching her all the other recipes, but I think she’ll be creating goodies for the world to taste in no time. Well, her salted caramel products won’t be as good as mine, of course, but I think she might do well with strawberries. Mentioned her boyfriend likes them, so she makes cakes with ‘em often” he had hired Penelo a week ago, and though she still had some things to learn, she was definitely suited to be called a baker from **_Burning Desire_**. Maybe one day, she’d even be as good as him.

“Well of course, no one could make better cakes than _you_. There’s no need to be so modest, Ax”

“There’s just not enough modest people in the world, Rox, someone has to be” he ignored Roxas’ eye roll and sat on the chair next to him, patting Ignis on the head as he did so. “Anyway, my amazing baking skills aside, have you been sleeping at all? You look terrible”

“Wow, _thanks_. Way to make a guy feel attractive. Sazh is sick, so we split his shifts between the three of us. I had the afternoon-evening shift two days ago, and a whole day yesterday and today. There was an emergency last night, though, so I went back to work at 3AM. Didn’t get out of the operation room till sunlight. I think I might have slept for, like, half an hour in the office. Xion wanted to take today’s shift, but her mom was visiting today so, you know. Plus, she’s already helped during the operation”

“Roxie, you can’t overwork yourself like that. I worry about you, you know?” if his friends had heard him right then, they would have raised their eyebrows and probably laughed at him. But the only people who could rat him out were himself and Roxas, and he didn’t think either of them were about to go and spread the news of him being mushy to the world. Besides, it’s not like he was mushy often. He just had his moments. Usually with Roxas around.

“Work is work, Axel. I wasn’t about to let a dog die because I wanted to sleep. That’s not why I became a vet and-“

“I know Rox. I _know_. Geez, don’t get so angry. You’re dedicated to your work and it’s admirable. I’m not attacking you because of that. I understand why you didn’t get much sleep last night. I’m just worried, okay? I don’t want you getting sick or something” he held Roxas’ tired gaze, and reached out for his hand. The blond didn’t pull away, which he decided to take as a good sign.

“Yeah. Sorry for getting worked up. ‘m just tired. You have every right to be concerned. I _do_ look horrible” Axel brushed away a piece of hair that fell into the blond’s face.

“Nah, Rox. You look as hot as always. You’re the epitome of beauty, even when you look like shit” Roxas punched his arm lightly, but he noticed the small smile gracing the vet’s face.

“Oh shut up, you ass kisser”

“Your ass is the only one I wanna kiss, baby” he pulled the blond on top of himself, earning a startled yelp. He didn’t give him the chance to grumble unhappily about the position, though, quickly covering Roxas’ mouth with his own. The blond hummed against his lips, and soon he felt a hand running through his hair. Roxas did that a lot when they were kissing. Axel wasn’t really sure why. Whether the blond liked the feel of his hair, or if it was just an odd habit of some sorts. Whatever it was, Axel _liked_ it. He thought it was adorable, really, and he silently encouraged the young vet to keep doing that. He, himself, liked to caress Roxas’ sides during their make out sessions. Seeing as the blond was ticklish, he’d always squirm against him, which would make the access into his mouth easier. And even better, on the more lucky days, Roxas would start _laughing_ against his lips, and there was just something so sweet, so _addictive_ about feeling the blond’s laughter against his own mouth. 

“Mm, I’m too tired to have sex with you, Ax” Roxas murmured when they separated, their lips close enough to touch during every spoken word.

“You wound me. You think I would try to seduce you into bed with me using my cat’s sickness? That’s low, Rox” he kissed the blond’s neck softly, drawing a content sigh out of him.

“No, I guess not. Though then again, you asked me if I wanted to screw in my car three weeks ago. And then if I wanted to have a quickie in the kitchen at your bakery two weeks ago. And then-“ he cut him off with a kiss, and he felt more than saw a smirk tugging at Roxas’ lips.

“Yeah, yeah, okay. So I had my less romantic moments. Happens to the best of us, Roxas. To the best of us! But to think _you_ would think I wouldn’t offer you silk bedspread and petals of roses and candles and salted caramel flavoured condom for our first time? That’s just shocking, Rox. Shocking”

“Salted caramel flavoured condom? Do they even make those? Wait, you know what? They probably do. We live in a twisted world. Anyway, as amusing as this conversation is, I should probably get going. I really _am_ tired, Ax. If I don’t get going soon, I’m going to crash my car” Roxas tried to get up, but Axel pulled him down again. Years of training in the gym under Rude’s, his older brother’s best friend’s, watchful eyes have finally paid off.

“Sleep over. I’m not going to molest you. Much. But as you’ve mentioned, you’re dead tired, Rox. You might crush or fall off a bridge or something. Do you know how boring my life would be without you to torment? And I need you alive for that”

“Oh yeah, I feel _so_ needed right now. You really have a way with words tonight. Makes a guy feel special” despite the sarcasm, Roxas settled down against his chest, his head resting on his shoulder “I’m gonna take you up on that offer though. I’ll just text Nam to feed Frodo. You sure it won’t be a problem?”

“A cute blond cuddling against me in my bed. A cute blond I _like_ cuddling against me in my bed _and_ keeping me warm. Possibly a cute _half-naked_ blond I li-“

“It’s the middle of winter. I’m not sleeping half-naked, asshole. Now move your ass, find me some shirt and preferably boxers or something, and I’ll text Naminé. Then I’m going to sleep and don’t you _dare_ wake me up before 10” Roxas pecked him on the cheek one more time before standing up and walking towards the hallway. Axel watched his retreating form for a while longer, admiring the ass that he had been allowed to touch during more intimate moments as of few weeks ago, before getting up as well. He quickly found a shirt and pyjama pants that Zexion borrowed whenever he and Demyx slept over and handed them to Roxas, who was still on the phone with his friend.

Half an hour later, after taking a shower and playing with his dogs, he quietly made his way towards the bedroom. He opened the door as silently as possible, not wanting to wake the sleeping blond. Roxas was on the left side of his bed, with Hermione lying on the pillow above him. He must have fallen asleep while petting her, because his arm was loosely wrapped around her. The sight made Axel’s chest fill with warmth, warmth that he was starting to get familiar with whenever Roxas was around.

He turned off the light on the bedside table and laid down next to the blond. Roxas mumbled something after Axel wrapped an arm around him and pulled him closer, but thankfully, he didn’t wake up. As the redhead snuggled closer to him, he let the blond’s warmth and even breathing lull him to sleep.

He woke up a few minutes before 7:30 in the morning. Roxas was clinging to him like a child might to a blanket, and the sight was so endearing, he had to stop himself from fishing for his phone and taking a blackmail photo. Instead, he allowed himself a few moments of simply staring at his sleeping lover. Roxas looked so content and at peace with the world, and Axel realized he wanted to see that expression more often. The look of complete relaxation on the blond’s face, the warmth of Roxas’ arm draped around his waist, the satisfaction of waking up to him in the morning. He wanted to wake up to that as often as possible.

After making sure Roxas was, indeed, sleeping, he brushed away a few strands of hair from the blond’s face and leant down. Just barely touching Roxas’ ear with his lips, he whispered the words that had been on the back of his tongue for several days now.

“I love you” one day, he’d say them when Roxas would be awake and listening with rapt attention to every word. Until then, the small smile on the still sleeping blond’s lips would be enough of a reply.

xxx

“You know, it’s not like I have patients all the time. You can drop by on less busy days _without_ bringing your neighbour’s sister’s daughter’s friend’s rabbit for a check-up if you just want to see me. It’s not like I’m going to throw you out if you drop by for a chat” he watched as Axel strolled around his veterinary office with a white rabbit in his hands. Lately, the redhead had started showing up at the clinic more often. Usually it was with his friends’ or acquaintances’ animals, not his own. But that, Roxas supposed, was a good thing. At least it meant that the redhead’s cats and dogs, whom Roxas had started to treat as if they were his own, were healthy.

“Nonsense, Rox. If I wanted to drop by _just_ to see you, I would. Obviously I want to help my friends and loved ones-“

“Cut the shit, Axel. When Demyx asked you to buy him milk, you told him to, and I quote ‘Move his fucking lazy ass himself’. And when I asked you to do the dishes, you told me you weren’t a dishwasher”

“I did the dishes eventually”

“Because I kicked your ass in rock-paper-scissors” Roxas stared at Axel pointedly, but the redhead stubbornly looked anywhere but at him. But the blond already knew that he had won. If there was one thing in the world that Axel hated more than commercials and stuck up politicians, it was losing. But even more than that, he hated _admitting_ that he lost.

“Can you do your _job_? Look at poor Mr Fluffy-Fluffs, he’s _distressed_ ” Roxas rolled his eyes at the accusation and pointed at the examination table. The rabbit stared at him, its’ nose twitching slightly.

“So Rox, I was thinking” Axel started conversationally.

“And that’s never a good thing” Roxas ignored Axel’s annoyed scoff and continued examining the rabbit’s anus for any signs of leftover faeces.

“Hilarious. Anyway, I know from Xion you have the weekend off because Sazh is showing the ropes to that newbie-“

“Rydia”

“Yeah, her. And I have the weekend off, too, because Penelo’s been doing great. Dem said he and Zex would take care of my animal gang, and Xion said she and Naminé don’t mind looking after Frodo for you. So I was hoping you’d agree to go on a little trip with me” Roxas looked up at the redhead suspiciously, scratching the rabbit behind his left ear to calm him down. It’s not like it would be their first time going on a trip somewhere together, though their previous trips were usually much shorter. A few hours at most. The furthest they got to was Trabia, which was a three hour car drive away. They’d spent the day skiing before packing up and going back to Twilight Town. It would have been a wonderful trip, if Axel hadn’t sprained his leg.

“Sure. As long as we’re not going skiing” Roxas’ smirk widened as Axel scowled, clearly remembering the unfortunate trip. He handed the redhead the rabbit, which he deemed healthy and happy, and proceeded to write Mr Fluffy-Fluff’s patient card. Axel waited patiently, paying the standard 10 munny and handing him a sea salt cupcake, before pecking him on the lips. It was a routine, one they had worked out months ago, and one that filled Roxas’ chest with warmth.

When Roxas got home that evening at 8 PM sharp, Axel was already waiting on his sofa with both of their suitcases packed. That would be all nice and well if Axel hadn’t said they were leaving for their trip on _Saturday_ , not Friday evening. The blond looked at him questioningly, but before he could ask, Axel pulled him down on top of himself and sealed their lips together. One of the redhead’s hands squeezed his ass and a surprised gasp left his mouth open, an opening Axel took advantage of instantly. Roxas’ head was swarming with questions, but none of them seemed important as the redhead sucked on his tongue. The moment an embarrassing sound left the blond’s mouth, though, Axel pulled away slowly, the heated kisses turning into more innocent pecks before their lips were completely disconnected.

“I think I like being greeted home like that” Roxas said finally, still straddling his lover’s legs. Axel grinned in return, pulling him closer. The blond relaxed against the familiar, strong chest and closed his eyes. Just breathing in Axel’s scent – that horrible deodorant he used mixed with all the sweet smells lingering from the bakery – was enough to make him feel a little better after a tiring day at work.

“I like greeting you like that, too. Which is why I was thinking you should move in with me. Half of your stuff’s at my place from our sleepovers anyway” _that_ got Roxas’ attention, and his eyes snapped open. He stared into amused green, not sure whether his lover was being serious “And I’d love to spend the rest of the night like that, but we’ve got a plane to Radiant Garden to catch in about an hour. Thought it’s about time to introduce you to my parents. I told Lea about you, and the little bastard told _them_. Mom said if I don’t bring you to her, she’ll bring herself to you. And no one wants that, trust me”

“Meeting parents? You’d think we were getting married, not moving in together” Roxas tugged at Axel’s hair playfully, noting that the redhead’s smile widened after the blond’s words. It made Roxas wonder when exactly the idea of them moving in together had first popped into the baker’s head.

“Hopefully we’ll get around to the marriage thing. Not yet, though. I love you, Rox, but there’s no rush. We’ve only just started having sex, which is fantastic, but we need to learn more about our kinks to see if we’re ready for a lifetime of that, yeah? And need I remind you that it was _you_ who introduced me to your crazy family half a year ago? Still the scariest moment of my life” Roxas debated whether to hit him for the sex comment or not, but decided against it. They had never spoken the ‘L’ word to each other, not out loud anyway. Roxas knew Axel loved him, just as Axel must have known that Roxas loved him, too. But something about _hearing_ that made the blond’s heart burst with happiness.

“You’re the one with weird kinks, you pervert. You’re lucky I love you too” Axel nipped at his neck affectionately and Roxas almost didn’t want to go to Radiant Garden anymore. Almost. Axel bought tickets already, and tickets meant money. And the blond hated wasting money “Mm, we gotta go or we’ll miss the flight. I’ll ask Nam if she could drive us to the airport”

“Already did. Said she will. Should be here in five. You think that’s enough for a quickie, babe?” Roxas pinched Axel’s nose in response, earning a startled yelp from the redhead. The blond laughed, kissing his nose in apology before getting up. Axel, clearly aware that it was a rejection, stood up with a sigh. But not before slipping something into Roxas’ back pocket.

“Key to our flat”

It was still too soon for marriage. But then again, a year ago, Roxas was saying the same thing about falling in love with the redhead. Now Axel was one of the most important people in his life. Maybe in a year or two, marriage wouldn’t be such a surreal idea anymore. _Especially_ if Axel promised to make their wedding cake.

As they exited Roxas’ flat hand in hand, the blond couldn’t help but think that some chapter of his life had just ended, and another one begun. And for now, he was liking the new one better. It seemed like there would be a _lot_ of Axel in that one. And, Roxas decided, that was definitely a good thing.

**Author's Note:**

> Shitty endings will forever be shitty endings. 
> 
> As usual, I'm sorry for any mistakes I've made.
> 
> This was supposed to be, like, 5000 words at most. But then I became attached and I didn't want to finish writing it, so it became kind of huge. I was kinda planning on writing out their whole lives, or at least until they were 50 or so, but I've decided against it. This way, you can imagine what happens later. Do they get married in a year or two? Or do they split apart? Do they adopt 20 more cats and 11 dogs and 6 parrots and a snake, or maybe 2 kids? Does the universe really hate Axel and Zack and Cloud move in next to them half a year later, and Cloud keeps scaring the living shit out of Axel till he's 42? Maybe. Thats' all up to you, dear readers. 
> 
> Also, if you don't recognize some names, they are probably Final Fantasy characters. 
> 
> This was really fun to write. Thank you very much for reading and hope you'll have a fantastic day.


End file.
